Recommendation 1
2.91 The
committee recommends that the Australian Government direct and enable nbn to
complete as much as possible of the remaining fixed line network using FTTC at
a minimum (or FTTP), and require nbn to produce a costed plan and timetable
under which that would be achieved.
Recommendation 2
2.92 The
committee recommends, in light of recent results and developments, that the
Australian Government commission an independent audit and assessment of the
long-term assumptions underpinning nbn's financial projections and business
case as set out in the Corporate Plan 2018-21.
Recommendation 3
2.94 The
committee recommends that the Australian Government direct nbn to establish a
regional and remote reference group to support the rollout of the NBN in rural
and remote Australia. The reference group would include consumer advocate
groups and departmental representation from the Department of Communications
and the Arts and the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development.
Business decisions that fundamentally change the nbn experience for the end
user in regional and remote communities should be referred to the reference
group for consideration and analysis as to whether the decision will result in
nbn not meeting its responsibilities as outlined in the Statement of
Expectations.
Recommendation 4
3.104 The
committee recommends the Government ensure by appropriate regulation that end
users are informed of, or can easily access and are directed to, clear
information about the maximum attainable layer 2 speed of their NBN
infrastructure/service on a per premise basis.
Recommendation 5
3.105 The
committee recommends that nbn develop and implement a framework that ensures
best-practice installation as part of an 'active handover' model, with
reference to the approach of Chorus NZ, so that each premise is assured of
network capability at the point it is ready-for-service, and repeat visits and
remedial costs are avoided.
Recommendation 6
3.106 The
committee recommends that nbn review and provide advice to the committee on how
it:
- takes into
consideration the added complexity and time requirements of installations to
Service Class 0 and Service Class 10 premises, or equivalent areas, when
calculating its progress towards completion goals; and
- prioritises
connections to areas that currently have no access to internet.
Recommendation 7
4.98 The
committee recommends that the Australian Government require nbn to identify and
disclose all areas that are currently designated to be served by a satellite
connection that previously were set to receive the NBN by FTTN or fixed
wireless, and explain why the change has occurred.
Recommendation 8
4.99 The
committee recommends that the Australian Government require nbn to develop a
plan that would provide access to nbn's fixed wireless towers for the provision
of mobile telephony.
Recommendation 9
4.100 The
committee recommends that the Australian Government ask nbn to consider
providing the capacity for separate business and residential Sky Muster
plans to be made available at the same location when business grade plans are
introduced in 2018.
Recommendation 10
4.101 The
committee recommends that the Australian Government set a benchmark for
reasonable data allowance on Sky Muster plans, by reference to average data use
across the fixed line network.
Recommendation 11
4.102 The
committee recommends that the Australian Government ask nbn to establish a
rural and regional reference group (see recommendation 3) and that nbn consult
on Sky Muster services and changes to policy and rollout plans.
Recommendation 12
5.21 The
committee recommends that the regulation of broadband wholesale services be
overhauled to establish clear rights and protections for suppliers and end
users of NBN broadband services. This framework should include: service
connection and fault repair timeframes; minimum network performance and
reliability; and compensation arrangements when these standards are not met.
The committee requests that the Department brief the committee on progress in
developing these protections by December 2017.
Recommendation 13
5.22 The
committee recommends that nbn and RSPs develop business grade products
specifically designed for the small business market which provide service
guarantees and remedies. The committee requests that nbn and
the Communications Alliance report back to the committee on progress in
developing these products by December 2017.
Recommendation 14
5.41 The
committee recommends that the Telecommunications Consumer Protection Code be
amended to require that customers lodging a complaint with their retail service
provider are specifically made aware of external dispute resolution options
including the Telcommunications Industry Ombudsman at the time they initially
lodge the complaint.
Recommendation 15
5.46 The
committee recommends that the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman be
empowered to compel any relevant parties to a complaint to meet together or
otherwise cooperate in order to facilitate the resolution of that complaint
within a set reasonable timeframe.
Recommendation 16
5.48 The
committee recommends that the Australian Government direct nbn to clearly
identify the complaint handling process for consumers, including: complaint
resolution processes and timeframes, and internal and external complaint
escalation processes. This information must be provided by nbn in a way that
meets Australian Government accessibility guidelines.
Recommendation 17
5.66 The
committee recommends that the Australian Communications and Media Authority
develop and introduce an updated Telecommunications Consumer Protections Code
that specifically addresses issues raised in relation to customer experiences
with NBN services. This should include mandatory, enforceable standards to
regulate the marketing of broadband speeds, in line with the recent principles
and industry guidance released by the Australian Competition and Consumer
Commission. The updated instrument must ensure that end users have rights and
accessible procedures to enforce those rights.
Recommendation 18
5.67 The
committee recommends that the ACMA consider introducing an updated statutory
determination, applicable to all NBN technology types, to require retail
service providers to inform customers of any critical service issues and line
impairments to ensure the customer has understood these issues, prior to a
service commencing.
Recommendation 19
6.45 The
committee recommends that nbn publish prominently on its website, monthly
information relating to its end user satisfaction metrics, including:
- its overall net
promoter score as measured each month;
- the overall net
promoter score for each technology type as measured each month;
- relevant
disaggregated information about end user satisfaction metrics in relation to
each RSP; and
- any relevant
disaggregated information about end user satisfaction metrics in specific
geographic areas, such as:
- data broken down by
state and territory; and
- data relating to each
fixed-line area in the rollout footprint, as areas are designated Ready for
Service.
Recommendation 20
6.48 The
committee recommends that the scope, function, and operation of the
Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) be expanded so that, among other
improvements determined through the current review process, the TIO should keep
data according to technology type, and should record and report multiple issues
as separate items, especially where nbn and an RSP are both involved.
Recommendation 21
6.52 The
committee recommends that the Department of Communications and the Arts publish
the data it receives from nbn as part of its monthly reporting regime,
including data relating to:
- network fault
restoration;
- service fault
restoration;
- connection
performance, such as right first time activations; and
- activities undertaken
in accordance with service level agreement.
Recommendation 22
7.25 The
committee requests that nbn review and provide advice to the committee on its
processes and conduct with regard to the engagement, training, coordination and
dispute resolution with subcontractors, in accordance with global
best-practice.
Recommendation 23
8.67 The
committee recommends that the Australian Government ensure that digital
inclusion is measured and reported. It has been suggested that the Productivity
Commission assess and report on income and wealth inequality in Australia, and
it may be worth including the measurement and reporting of digital inequality,
as the two areas are likely to be increasingly related.
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